


The House

by bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid



Series: MacGyver Appreciation Fortnight [6]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Fluff, MacGyver Appreciation Fortnight Challenge, Worried Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016), post 2x12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 11:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16061924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid/pseuds/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid
Summary: Day 6 of MacGyver Appreciation Fortnight: LocationFor today's theme, I chose the location of Mac's house. First of all, it is a really sick looking house that I would love to live in. But more importantly, I love how it is at the center of their little family. It is the place they go to when they want to decompress and hang out.It has always struck me as a bit funny that even though every single bad guy seems to know where Mac lives, he makes no effort to move. So this is a little fic explaining a bit about why Mac is so adamant about staying and why Jack ultimately lets him.





	The House

“Mac, I think you and I both know it’s time,” Jack said, leaning against the counter of Mac’s kitchen. The bomb had finally been cleared out and his house was no longer considered an active crime scene. Jack had tried to convince the kid to crash at his place that night, but Mac claimed that he wanted to sleep in his own bed. Jack had no idea how he could feel safe in this place after what had just happened.

“Time for what, Jack?” Mac asked tiredly. He was sitting on a stool at the counter, his head leaning heavily on one of his hands.

“Time to sell this house. Listen, man, I know this place means a lot to you, but not one but two of your crazy arch-enemies have been able to break into this house and put your life at risk,” Jack said as he walked over to the fridge. It had been a long day, and he didn’t want to argue with Mac, but it seriously scared him that at any moment a bad guy could walk into Mac’s house.

“They’ll be able to find me wherever I go,” Mac responded. It was the same thing he’d said to Jack when they’d have this conversation when Murdoc had first broken into his house.

“Doesn’t mean you’ve gotta make it easy on them,” Jack pointed out as he got sandwich supplies out of the fridge. He knew that Mac probably wanted nothing more than for him to leave so he could go to sleep, but Jack happened to know that the kid hadn’t had anything to eat all day.

“It’s my grandfather’s house,” Mac said quietly, using the argument he had used when they’d had this conversation for the second time after Murdoc had kidnapped Mac.

“Buddy, I know. And I may have not have known your grandaddy, but I am positive that he wouldn’t want you risking your life over something as silly as a house,” Jack argued back. He knew that Mac felt a deep connection to his grandfather whenever he was in the house and that losing something like that might feel like losing his grandfather all over again. But Jack would much rather have a heartbroken Mac than a dead one.

“I know...It’s just…” Mac trailed off and when Jack turned to look at him he found the kid staring off into space, lost in his own mind.

“Just what?” Jack prompted, placing a sandwich in front of Mac. In an almost automatic motion, Mac immediately picked up the sandwich and bit into it. He demolished half of the sandwich before he seemed to realize what had happened.

“Thanks, I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Mac said as he started on the second half. Jack just shook his head and took a bite of his own sandwich. Jack gave Mac time to finish his sandwich before pressing him again.

“What is really keeping you from selling this house?” He asked as he started to make second sandwiches for them both. Jack knew that there had to be something deeper. Mac could be sentimental, but he was also very cerebral. There had to be some heavy emotions coming in to play to make Mac forget to use his big brain.

Mac, looking suddenly nervous, got up to get them both water. He handed Jack a bottle and then sat back down with his. He took a sip and then stared at the water bottle for a few moments before he started talking.

“When my mom died, my grandfather moved in with my dad and me in Mission City. He made the move so quickly that he didn’t have time to sell the house or even pack up most of his stuff. He took me with him one weekend to finish packing up the rest of the things he would need. Grandpa had always visited us, so I had never gotten to see his house. I remember the excitement I felt getting to go to Los Angeles for the first time. I immediately fell in love with the city and the house. Both were the coolest things I’d ever seen. I can remember running in circles through the house, using both doors to the balcony…” Mac trailed off again, looking down the hallway he’d run through and getting lost in memories.

“I can picture that,” Jack said, looking down the hallway also and imagine a little blonde boy laughing and running down it. Jack put Mac’s second sandwich on his plate and waiting for him to continue.

“It was the first time since my mom died that I felt happy. I told my grandfather that I wanted to stay here forever, but he told me that I had my dad waiting for me back in Mission City. Then...a little while later when my dad left, my grandpa knew his move to Mission City would have to be permanent. He talked about selling this house, but I got so upset about the idea that he decided to keep it. It became our vacation spot, our place to go to get away from everything. Instead of celebrating my birthday, we would just come here and hang out for the weekend. We would do puzzles and play games and build things. This place has always been somewhere I could go to get away from the craziness of life. When I went away to college, Grandpa moved back here. Mission City will always be my home, but I was almost glad to hear that he moved. That meant that every break from school, I got to come to visit him here. It was once again a sanctuary from all of the hardships of school and life.”

“And it still is…” Jack said, starting to finally realize just how much this place meant to Mac. Jack had always just assumed that Mac’s connection with it had been because it had belonged to his grandfather, but now he saw that it was much more than that.

“Yes, our job is crazy man, and sometimes I think the only thing that keeps me sane is being able to come home to this place. It’s always been someplace where I could clear my head and get my emotions straight. It sounds insane, but even now, I feel safe here,” Mac said with a slightly self-conscious smile. Jack knew that with all of the thoughts crammed inside that kid’s head, having someplace to clear it was crucial.

“Okay, brother,” he said simply.

“What?” Mac blinked in surprise, obviously expecting more of an argument from Jack.

“I understand now, thank you for telling me all of that. It helped me realize that nothing I say is gonna ever get you to move. But I am insisting that you immediately purchase the best security system that money can buy. If you are going to be staying in a place with a giant target painted on the roof, then you have to install a better security system.”

“But-” Mac started to protest, but Jack interrupted him.

“Look, you are going to say that even with the best security system, the likes of Murdoc and the Ghost will still probably be able to get in. That may be true, but how about we make it as hard as possible for those low lives to get in, huh?” Jack said and watched as Mac debated.

“Deal,” Mac said finally. He got up and put his dish in the sink and then walked a few steps towards his front door. “But we can work on that later. Right now, I need to sleep for a couple days straight.”

“Sleep sounds good to me,” Jack said and deliberately walked in the other direction and lay down on Mac’s couch. A few seconds later, Mac came into view and quirked an eyebrow at him.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to sleep,” Jack said in his best “Isn’t that obvious” voice.

“Jack, go home, sleep in your own bed. You can come by tomorrow and we can look at security systems,” Mac said tiredly, leaning up against the doorframe. He looked pale and like he was about to collapse any second. Jack didn’t want to delay his sleep any longer, but he was not about to back down on this.

“Mac, I am not leaving you alone in this house until you get a security system. So deal with it, or you can come sleep at my place.”

Mac gave him a glare, but there wasn’t much heat to it. He pushed himself off of the wall and swayed slightly before turning around to go to his bedroom.

“Fine, but you can sleep in Bozer’s bed since he is too freaked out to stay here,” Mac called over his shoulder. Jack grinned because he knew that he’d won this one. He scrambled up and followed Mac down the hall.

“Y’know,” Jack said, turning back to look at Mac after he opened Bozer’s door. “Bozer might actually be the smarter one.”

“Goodnight Jack,” was Mac’s only response before his door clicked shut. Jack settled into bed, feeling better that tomorrow Mac would at least have a good security system. It wasn’t the most ideal situation, but Jack knew it was the best he was gonna get, so he would take it.

Maybe with any luck, they would be able to catch Murdoc next time he tried to break into Mac’s house.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's information if you want to get in on the MacGyver Appreciation Fortnight action!!
> 
> http://macspaperclips.tumblr.com/post/178091723524/macgyver-appreciation-fortnight


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